A star that changes into a diamond planet? What sounds like science fiction is apparently reality. The discovery was made by an international team of scientists from Australia, Italy, Great Britain, the USA and Germany, including Michael Kramer from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn. The researchers found the diamond planet with the help of the 64-metre Parkes radio telescope in Australia. The planet apparently orbits around an unusual, very dense star, a pulsar. Pulsars represent the very last stages of star formation. They are rapidly rotating neutron ...

Red Wing Software, Inc. announces the addition of free accounting software resources to their Web site for customers and prospects alike. Customers can now learn about their software in a wide variety of methods, and prospects can use available tools to find the accounting program that suits their needs more easily, whether it's a Red Wing Software program or not. Customers can now find a variety of accounting software training tools available at the Red Wing Software University page: www.redwingsoftware.com/rwsu. Customers can join online 'Getting Started' Web learning ...

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ROCHESTER, Minn. -- More than 150 cases of measles have been reported in the United States already this year and there have been similar outbreaks in Europe, a sign the disease is making an alarming comeback. The reappearance of the potentially deadly virus is the result of unfounded fears about a link between the measles shot and autism that have turned some parents against childhood vaccination, says Gregory Poland, M.D. (http://www.mayoclinic.org/bio/10966366.html), of Mayo Clinic. In the September issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings (http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com), ...

An Indiana University study that compared strategies used by extroverted college students and their less socially inclined peers found that happy people who are less outgoing relied less on partying and drinking to be happy and more on connections with family and friends or cognitive strategies, such as positive thinking. "You don't have to go out and party to be happy. That's the thing students feel they need to do, particularly when they're new to campus," said Bernardo J. Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. "But, it's ...

RakeTheRake, the world's largest rakeback provider, is frequently asked to explain what rakeback is. In response to this it has produced a series of new videos to help online poker players answer the 'What is Rakeback' question and how to get the most cash back from their poker play. The simplest definition of rakeback is that it is a loyalty bonus in the form of poker cashback. The more you play online poker, the more cash, or rakeback, you receive. It works because online poker rooms want to attract new players. To do this they use affiliates like RakeTheRake to ...

Energy researchers and environmental advocates are excited about the prospect of gaining more efficient large-scale biofuel production by using large grasses like miscanthus or switchgrass rather than corn. They have investigated yields, land use, economics and more, but one key factor of agriculture has been overlooked: water. "While we are looking for solutions for energy through bioenergy crops, dependence on water gets ignored, and water can be a significant limiting factor," said Praveen Kumar, an environmental engineer and atmospheric scientist at the University ...

Medical malpractice in its simplest terms is substandard care given by a medical professional; the substandard care must result in some type of harm or death for medical malpractice to have occurred. Though the definition of medical malpractice may seem quite simple, these types of legal cases are often very complex, and only very experienced, knowledgeable medical malpractice attorneys can "win" these cases in a court of law. A talented medical malpractice attorney will have the resources available to hire the best medical experts to testify on your behalf should ...

Commercial freight companies often conduct business through complex relationships with contracted carriers. Traditionally, while companies are legally responsible for the negligent actions of their direct agents (i.e., their employees acting within the scope of their employment), they are generally not liable for the negligent conduct of independent contractors. Respondeat superior, the legal theory that allows employer liability, is grounded in part on the concept that companies have control over the conduct of their workers or the right to control their employees' ...

Victims who suffer violence at the hands of a spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, or other intimate partner aren't only brutalized physically; they also suffer disproportionately higher rates of mental health distress, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Using data from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), researchers found that of the 3.5 million Californians who reported ever having been the victim of intimate partner violence (IPV), more than half a million — 594,000 — said they experienced recent symptoms ...

This press release is available in Spanish. Studies by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists indicate that organic farmers who need to periodically amend their soils with compost after planting can still control weeds--and hold down costs--by using fabric ground covers. This will be welcome news to organic farmers who till composted manure into their crop fields after planting. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) soil scientist Larry Zibilske, who works at the agency's Integrated Farming and Natural Resources Research Unit in Weslaco, Texas, set out to see ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – As wolf populations grow in parts of the West, most of the focus has been on their value in aiding broader ecosystem recovery – but a new study from Oregon State University also points out that they could play an important role in helping to save other threatened species. In research published today in Wildlife Society Bulletin, scientists suggest that a key factor in the Canada lynx being listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act is the major decline of snowshoe hares. The loss of hares, the primary food of the lynx, in turn may be caused ...

Transvaginal mesh devices are usually implanted to strengthen a woman's vaginal tissue and support the weight of the surrounding organs after a woman experiences pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Recent reports from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicate that these transvaginal mesh devices can cause injury in women who have had the potentially defective device implanted. What Is Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP)? It is not uncommon following a pregnancy or other medical condition for a woman's vaginal tissue to weaken. When this happens, a woman may experience POP, ...

After studying current school inspection and review reports as well as an independent impact study report commissioned by United States Agency for International Development (USAID), author Michael Lightfoot stated that many technology-related policies overlook the real needs of students. Lightfoot wrote that while ICT infrastructure aims to incorporate electronic classes and teaching systems that enhance students' and teachers' technological abilities, in reality it has become little more than a way to mechanically optimize the operation of equipment and to perpetuate cultural ...

Researchers at the University of British Columbia and the Child & Family Research Institute have shown that parental stress during their children's early years can leave an imprint on their sons' or daughters' genes – an imprint that lasts into adolescence and may affect how these genes are expressed later in life. The study, published online today in the journal Child Development, focused on epigenetics – the expression of genes as opposed to the underlying sequence of DNA. A central component of epigenetics is methylation, in which a chemical group attaches to parts ...

In late June, three young state residents facing disabilities were recognized by the Michigan Legislature for their efforts to make bicycling safer. Nineteen-year-old James Kleimola of Ypsilanti, along with Katie Birchmeier and Conor Waterman of Saline, both 10, are involved in the Programs to Educate All Cyclists (PEAC). Last year, their testimony before the Michigan House and Senate Transportation committees as well as the Disability Caucus helped shepherd into law Complete Streets legislation that will ensure future transportation plans across the state take into ...

When the body fights oxidative damage, it calls up a reservist enzyme that protects cells – but only if those cells are relatively young, a study has found. Biologists at USC discovered major declines in the availability of an enzyme, known as the Lon protease, as human cells grow older. The finding may help explain why humans lose energy with age and could point medicine toward new diets or pharmaceuticals to slow the aging process. The researchers showed that when oxidative agents attack the power centers of young cells, the cells respond by calling up reinforcements ...

Scientists from the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville have determined that an inexpensive semiconductor material can be "tweaked" to generate hydrogen from water using sunlight. The research, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, was led by Professors Madhu Menon and R. Michael Sheetz at the UK Center for Computational Sciences, and Professor Mahendra Sunkara and graduate student Chandrashekhar Pendyala at the UofL Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research. Their findings were published Aug. 1 in the Physical Review Journal (Phys Rev B 84, 075304). The ...

A new study by Transportation For America takes a state-by-state look at pedestrian safety in the U.S. In the wake of public awareness campaigns for motorcycle safety and distracted driving, pedestrian safety has seen less public attention, resources and funding. The study found that, between 2000 and 2009, over 47,700 pedestrians were killed nationwide and an additional 688,000 pedestrians were injured. Data from the study ranks Memphis as the fifth deadliest metro area for pedestrians out of a list of 54 cities with populations over 1 million. Memphis had the highest ...

Are new England's iconic maple trees at risk? If a beetle has its way, the answer may be yes. Results from the first study of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) in forests show that the invasive insect can easily spread from tree-lined city streets to neighboring forests. A paper reporting the results appears today in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research. Successful ALB eradication efforts in Chicago, and ongoing eradication efforts in Boston, New York, and other U.S. cities have focused exclusively on urban street trees. The ongoing ALB infestation in Worcester, ...

Researchers at the Intermountain Clinical Genetics Institute at LDS Hospital have developed a new method for identifying patients who carry a gene that affects treatment for colon and other forms of cancer. In addition to being more cost effective than previously existing tests, the novel technique ensures accurate results; it could soon be the gold standard in early detection and treatment for many colon cancer patients. Diagnosing Lynch Syndrome May Inform Treatment Decisions A number of cancer patients suffer from an inherited condition known as Lynch syndrome. ...

A team of USC scientists has developed a robust, efficient method of using hydrogen as a fuel source. Hydrogen makes a great fuel because of it can easily be converted to electricity in a fuel cell and because it is carbon free. The downside of hydrogen is that, because it is a gas, it can only be stored in high pressure or cryogenic tanks. In a vehicle with a tank full of hydrogen, "if you got into a wreck, you'd have a problem," said Travis Williams, assistant professor of chemistry at the USC Dornsife College. A possible solution is to store hydrogen in a safe ...

When married couples with children divorce or obtain a legal separation, the court has the authority and an obligation to order child support. It is public policy in Minnesota that both parents shall be liable for the financial responsibilities of raising a child. As such, a support order is issued to compel a non-custodial parent to support the custodial parent in raising the child. The parent who is ordered to pay support is called the obligor. The parent who receives such support is called the obligee. Child Support Generally Under Minnesota law, child support ...

Nurses, just like many of their patients, struggle to find time and motivation to exercise. But a new study may give these all-important caregivers some additional pressure and responsibility: nurses' attitudes can influence whether their patients commit to a healthy lifestyle. "Nurses should model healthy exercise behavior," said Joyce Fitzpatrick, an author of the study in the International Journal of Nursing Practice and the Elizabeth Brooks Ford Professor of Nursing at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. The study found, ...

NEW YORK – August 30, 2011 – Research in Marketing Science by Professor Kamel Jedidi, John A. Howard Professor of Business, Marketing, Columbia Business School; Professor Oded Netzer, Philip H. Geier Jr. Associate Professor, Marketing, Columbia Business School; and Professor Ricardo Montoya, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile, reveals how pharmaceutical managers can maximize the return on marketing investments – by determining the physicians to target as well as when and how to target them. The researchers investigate the effectiveness ...